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Do your kids come to you with big ideas like this one?

I love that kids believe anything is possible.
And I'm not just talking about a bunny who brings jelly beans on Easter
or a fairy who pays for lost teeth, I'm talking about how the average
kid can have a random idea to, say, put on a circus in the backyard or
build a spaceship out of cardboard boxes and assume it can be done.
Sure, why not?

Like 8-year-old Eve Hobsbawm of London. She knew she wanted to start her own business
-- just like her dad, who owns a tech start-up. And instead of spending
months or years making false starts or getting stuck in self-doubt or
waiting out the dismal economic climate like an adult, as soon as she
figured out what kind of business she wanted to run, she just went ahead
and did it.

The result?

EveProblemSolver.com, the girl's online "problem-solving consultancy," which is basically exactly what it sounds like:

A sort of digital "Dear Abby" where users submit problems and get customized advice in return.

Except this time, "Abby" happens to be 8 years old and her advice will cost you.

Of course it won't cost you much -- depending on the nature of a
given "problem," Eve charges very reasonable rates (a max of about $1.50
for the toughest questions). Her areas of expertise include "love,
life, and work-balance."

And her advice is surprisingly sensible! Check it out: Her first
customer was a woman whose problem was an "annoying" husband. Eve's
words of wisdom?

"It all cancels out. You might do stuff to him that's also really annoying."

Too-shay, little guru. I bet my bottom dollar not a single one of that woman's friends were half as honest and to-the-point.
Eve has helped people with everything from finding lost keys to
deciding what to make for dinner (but she won't help with homework,
"especially maths").

So Eve is totally a rock star, but I have to send a major shout-out to her dad for encouraging his daughter
and helping her get the business off the ground. 'Fess up, fellow
parents: On the average busy day, aren't we too often tempted to respond
to "I have a really good idea!" with "Hang on, I just have to finish
what I'm doing ... later, okay?" or "That's great, honey. Tell me all
about it when I'm done with this email." (Of course, we're never "done
with that email.")

I bet I know exactly what Eve would say:

"Pay attention to your kid for a few minutes. She might have something really important to say."

Do your kids come to you with big ideas like this one? Do you always find the time to listen?

Reminds me of when my cousin came to my uncle wanting to fly accross a lake. Instead of saying "You can't do that," my uncle responded with "How are you going to do that?" It lead to a three day exploration of how my cousin (6 years at the time) could possibly fly. He researched ducks and microlights and everything. I was really impressed and it gave me the idea that homeschool was really cool. This all happened while they were on vacation for a week.

Send me email updates about messages I've received on the site and the latest news from The CafeMom Team.
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